Post domer

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for automatically forming a curved dome on a post by individually, automatically feeding logs into a doming station, rotating and axially advancing the logs in the doming station to a contoured cutting head and then ejecting the log from the doming station after the doming operation has been completed.

States Patent 1191 POST DOMER Thomas Horel, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaAssignee: Domtar Limited, Montreal, Canada Filed: Aug. 28, 1972 Appl.No.: 284,034

Foreign Application Priority Data Inventor:

Mar 21), 1972 U.S. Cl 144/30, 144/242 R, 144/246 R, 83/715, 83/719,83/731 Int. Cl B27m 3/00 Field of Search 144/30, 150, 153, 242,

144/246 R, 246 A, 246 B, 246 E, 208 F; 83/707, 708, 714, 715, 719, 731,732

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Bouma 144/39 Canada 137,587

[451 May 14,1974

2,945,523 7/1960 Jenkins 144/208 F 3,451,450 6/1969 Morey ct =11.144/2011 F 3,403,710 10/1968 Garrison 144/30 3,111,971 10/1963Spencer 1. 144/311 3,073,362 1/1963 Bourdon 144/242 R PrimaryExumi/zer-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant E.\'am1'ner-W. D. Bray Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Cecil A. Rowley 57 ABSTRACT An apparatus forautomatically forming a curved dome on a post by individually,automatically feeding logs into a doming station, rotating and axiallyadvancing the logs in the doming station to a contoured cutting head andthen ejecting the log from the doming station after the doming operationhas been completed.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAY M L974 SHEET 3 [IF 3 POST DOMIERFIELD OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to post domer, morespecifically, the present invention relates to a device forautomatically forming a rounded top on a fence post or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART In the commercial manufacture of fenceposts, no satisfactory system of forming a rounded dome of the post isavailable. Equipment has been provided for pointing the post tofacilitate driving them into the ground and for camphering the top ofthe post to aid in preventing splintering when it is driven into theground. In all these prior devices a considerable amount of manualhandling was necessary which significantly contributes to the cost ofthe product Thus, the main object of the present invention is to providea machine to facilitate automatic doming of posts while requiring littlemanual labour. I

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor forming a curved dome on the top of fence posts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Broadly, the present invention comprises meansto deliver posts to a doming station, a cutter in said doming station,means to rotate and axially advance said post toward said cutter wherebysaid cutter forms a domed surface on one end of said post and means toeject said post from said'doming station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further features, objects andadvantages will be evident from the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment of the present invention taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation view with parts omittedillustrating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view with parts omitted illustrating thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a isometric view of the guide and front positioning plate forradially positioning different diameter logs;

FIG. 4 is a schematic isometric view of the post controlling mechanismfor cradling and ejecting the post;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view with parts omitted illustrating theoperation of the front ejection bar; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating the operation of therear ejection bar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 schematicallyillustrates a device comprising an infeed conveyor 12 which axiallyadvances discrete logs and deposits them against abutment ,15 on aninclined platform 14. Logs slide down the inclined platform 14 and areindividually picked up by a chain conveyor 16 which in the illustratedarrangement is composed ofa pair of spaced chains 18 and 20 having aplurality of flights 22 connected thereto. These chains 18 and 20 travelaround sprocket wheels 24 and 26 one of which is driven in the directionof the arrow 28 so that the left hand reach of the conveyor 16 moves theposts upwardly as shown.

A positioning plate 30 is provided at the front end of the machine. Thisplate 30 has an inclined section 32 which cams the posts rearwardly anda substantially straight section 34 which permits the posts to move in adirection perpendicular to their longitudinal axes into the domingstation 36 whereby the end of each post is properly positioned as itenters the station 36.

The posts are fed from the conveyor 16 onto spaced supporting plates,from supporting plate 38 and rear supporting plate 40 (see FIGS. 1, 2and 3). The plate 38 is most clearly shown in FIG. 3 and is composed oftwo plates 38A and 388. These plates are slidably mounted on the frameof the machine by pin 42 fixed on the frame 58 of the machine andreceived in a slot 44 in the plate 38B at one end and by a suitablesupport bar 39 forming part of the frame at the opposite end of plate388. A support roller 46 is rotably mounted on the plate 388 bya pin 48.The upper surface 50 of the plate 38A supports one end of a post whilethe upper surface 52 of the plate 40 supports the opposite end of thepost (see FIGS. 2 and 4).

A swinging arm 54 ispivotably mounted on the frame 58 adjacent the frontend of the machine via a pin 56. This arm 54 rotatably mounts a pair ofrolls 60 and 62 which preferably are a pair of pneumatic tires such asthose conventionally used on automobiles. One of these rolls, inparticular the roll closest the pivot point 56 as indicated at 62 ofFIG. 1, is driven through chain drive 64 from motor 66 through driveshaft 68 to which the roller is fixed. A sprocket 70 substantially thesame diameter as the roller 62 is also fixed to the shaft 68 and drivesa chain 72 which is trained about an idler sprocket 74 rotatably mountedon the arm 54 in the direction of the arrow 73. This chain 72 engagesthe top of the poles or posts supported by the plates 38 and 40 andfunctions as a conveyor to advance them toward the doming station 36 anddue to the wedging action as the post rotates, to simultaneously liftthe arm 54 with the rollers 62 and 60 mounted thereon thereby permittingthe post to move into the station 36 (see FIG. 1).

The log is supported in the station 36 at the front on plate 38 androller 46 and at the rear on a pair of rear bottom support rolls and 82.These rolls, similar to the rools 60 and 62, are pneumatic tires. Itwill be noted that the rolls 80 and 82 are all oriented at an anglerelative to the axis of the pole to be domed which is parallel to therotational axis of the cutter head 84 (see FIG. 2). The rolls 60 and 62are canted substantially in the same manner as the rolls 80 and 82.

The cutter head 84 is fixed to a shaft 86 that is rotatably mounted onthe frame 58 of the machine by bearings or the like 88, and is driven byany suitable means such as a conventional electric motor. The contour onthe cutting head 84 or the cutter knives are curved to form a dome shapeon the top of the log substantially as illustrated at 90 in FIG. 2. Thecutter or doming head 84 need not necessarily have the shape of thecutters illustrated, but could for example simply be a conical head.

The cradle and ejection mechanism is schematically illustrated in FIG.4. This mechanism is formed by a front cradling and ejection mechanism94 mounted on plate 92 fixed to the frame 58 and a read cradling andejection mechanism 96 mounted on plate 40. The mechanism 94 and 96 areinterconnected by a rod 98 so that both actuate simultaneously.

The front ejection mechanism comprises an arm 100 having a curved cradlesection 102 and terminating in a free end providing an ejection section104. The arm 100 is pivotably mounted on the plate 92 via pivot pih 106.A link 108 is pivotably connected to the arm 100 by a pin 110 andconnects the arm 100 to one arm 112 of a bell crank lever 114 via a pin116. The bell crank lever 114 is fixed to the shaft 98 and rotatestherewith. The other arm 118 of the bell crank 114 is connected via anadjustable connecting rod 120 to one arm 122 of a bell crank trippinglever 124. This tripping lever 1.24 is pivotably mounted on the oppositeside of plate 92 relative to the arm 100 by pivot pin 126. The free end128 of the other arm 130 of the tripping lever 124 is positioned abovethe upper surface of the plate 92 in a position to be engaged by a postas it is moved along the upper surface 50 of the plate 38A via the chain72, as will be described in move detail hereinbelow.

As above indicated the mechanism 94 is connected to the mechanism 96 bya shaft 98. Fixed to the shaft 98 is a lever 132 which is pivotablyconnected by pin 134 to a lever 136 which in turn is pivotably connectedto a rear arm 138 via pivot pin connection 140. The rear arm 138 has astepped cradling section 142 with an ejection section 144 positionedadjacent its free end. The opposite end of the lever 138 is pivotablymounted on the plate 40 via pivot pin 150.

A pair of weights 152 and 154 are fixed to the shaft 98 and extendlaterally therefrom. These weights bias the shaft 98 in acounter-clockwise direction to force the arms 100 and 138 into theircradling position as will be described hereinbelow.

The plates 40 and 92 have inclined sections 210 and 208 respectivelydown which a processed post slides and is stopped by the abutment 212(see FIG. 4) mounted at the ends of the plates 40 and 92.

Having now described the main elements of the present invention, theoperation of the device will now be described.

A post 200 has its axial advance stopped by the abutment on the surface14 and slides down the surface 14 into a position to be picked by one ofthe slights 22 on the conveyor 16. End 202 of the post 200 engages theface of flight 32 as the post is elevated by the conveyor 16 whichwedges the post 200 axially rearward of the machine to properly alignthe end 202 into proper position relative to the domer head 90.

After the end 202 has been properly positioned the conveyor 16 depositsthe log 200 onto the upper surfaces 50 and 5 2 of the plates 38A and 40and into engagement with the lower flight of the chain 72. This chain 72advances the post 200 and wedges it between the surface 50 and the chain72 with the movement of the chain 72 rotating the log 200 deeper intothe wedge. thereby liftingtthe arm 54 by pivoting it about pivot point56 clearing the way for the post to enter the doming station 36. As canbe seen, the arm 54 will swing as indicated by the arrow 55 as the log200 is advanced toward the doming station 36 (see FIG. 1).

The plate 388 is manually adjusted in accordance with the diameter ofthe log or post to be processed to position the supporting wheel 46 inproper position. This wheel 46 provides a positive stop against whichthe log or post being processed rests when depressed by the wheels 60and 62.

As the post 200 moves into the station 36, it engages the free end 128of the tripping lever 124 which actuates the mechanisms 94 and 96 andrejects the previously processed post. The weights 52 and 54 rotate theshaft 98 to lift the arms 100 and 138 to the position shown in FIG. 4which is the cradling position into which the incoming log or post 200is fed. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the post 200 rests in the cradlingsections 102 and 142 and is temporarily supported there by the weights52 and 54. In this position, the pole 200 has cleared the upper surface50 of the plate 38A and the upper edges of the plates 40 and 92 so thatit may move down to properly position the longitudinal axis of the postrelative to the cutter head 90. The log 200 is forced down to thisposition by the weight of the arm 54 with the various mechanisms thereontransmitted by the rollers 60 and 62 engaging the upper surface of thelog. The post 200 is supported at the front end on plate 38B and roller46 and at the opposite end by the rolls and 82. The position of theroller 46 governs the position of the post relative to the cutting head84, but it is not contemplated that the position of the roll 46 will beadjusted for each post. The position of the roller 46 is adjusted toobtain the best results over a range of normal sizes of post to beprocessed and may be readjusted for special small or large post runs.

Thus, with the post 200 positioned in the doming station 36, the roll 60and 62 bear against the upper surface and the roll 62 positively rotatesto in turn rotate the post 200. The canting of the rolls 60 and 62 inthe manner illustrated for the rolls 80 and 82 in FIG. 2 causes the post200 to advance axially as it is rotated. This rotation and axial advanceof the post 200 moves it into the cutter head 84 which is rotating athigh speed and is provided with a plurality of curved contoured knivesthat engage and progressively cut the desired curved contour to dome theend 202.

As a post 200 is being domed by the doming head a further post 200 iselevated by the conveyor 16 in the manner described hereinabove. Theflights 22 are so positioned and the rate of movement of the conveyor 16correlated with that of the chain conveyor 72 and the roll 62 whichforms a rotating and axial advancing mechanism for the log that the nextpost begins to elevate the arm 54 after doming of the post in station 36has been completed.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the ejection ofthe domed log 200 from thedoming station 36 will be described. As the next post to be processed isadvanced by the conveyor 72, it as above described elevates the arm 54which releases the pressure of the rolls 60 and 62 on the post 200 inthe station 36 and permits the weights 52 and 54 to begin lifting thepost 200. The post 200 eventuallyy engages the free end 128 of the bellcrank lever 124 and rotates this lever about its pivot 126 therebymoving the connecting rod 120 in the direction of the arrow 12] torotate the bell crank lever 114 and thus the shaft 98 in acounterclockwise direction. This movement is facilitated by the weights152 and 154 and moves the arm in an upward direction so that theejecting section 104 contacts the post 200 from beneath and forces sameout of the doming station 36 and onto the inclined section 208 of theplate 92. At the same time, the opposite end of the post 200 is beinglifted by the ejecting section 148 of the arm 138 since rotation of theshaft 98 rotates the arm 132 and through the link 136 pivots the arms130 about its pivot point 150. This movement of the ejecting section 104and 132 forces the freeend of the post out of the doming station 36 andonto the incline section 210 of the plate 40. The post then slides downthe section 209 and 210 into contact with the abutment 212 and is thenpicked by any convenient means.

As the incoming post is forced downward in the doming station 36 by thearm 54 it pivots the arms 100 and 138 about their respective pivotpoints 106 and 150 and moves out of the cradling sections 102 and 142into a position overlying the ejection sections 104 and 148 of the arms100 and 138 respectively (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

The movement of a post through the machine is clearly indicated by thearrows 220 and 230 in FIG. 2.

doming station, said means to rotate and axially advance including anarm, a pair of rolls on said arm, means to drive one of said rolls, saidrolls being canted at an angle to the longitudinal axis of a post insaid doming station, means to mount said arm for movement to and from anoperating position wherein said rolls contact with said post in saiddoming station and said one of said rolls rotates said post to helicallyadvance said post.

2. A post domer as defined in claim 1 wherein said doming stationincludes means to rotatably support a post being domed, said means torotatably support includes a pair of supporting rolls adapted to contactthe undersurface of a post said supporting rolls being canted at anangle to the longitudinal axis of the post in the doming stationsubstantially equal to the angle on which said pair of rolls are canted.

3. A post domer as defined in claim 2 wherein said pair of rolls andsaid pair of supporting rolls are pneu matic tires.

4. A post domer as defined in claim 2 wherein means to deliver the poststo said doming station comprises a chain conveyor mounted on said arm,said chain conveyor engaging the upper surface of a post being deliveredto said doming station and wedging said post against a supportingsurface said chain conveyor contacting and moving said logs toward saiddoming station, said movement of said post toward said doming stationlifting said chain conveyor and thus said arm to permit said post beingdelivered to enter said doming station beneath said driven roll.

5. A post domer as defined in claim 2, wherein said ejection mechanismcomprises a pair of spaced arms, means biasing said arms to ejectionposition and means for tripping said ejection mechanism to swing saidarms to eject a post from said doming station.

' 6. A post domer as defined in claim 4 wherein said ejection mechanismcomprises a pair of spaced arms, means biasing said arms to ejectionposition and means for tripping said ejection mechanism to swing saidarms to eject a post from said doming station.

7. A post domer as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for tripping isactuated by said post being delivered when said arm is lifted to permitsaid post being delivered to enter said doming station.

8. A post domer as defined in claim 1 wherein said cutter head rotateson an axis substantially parallel to and spaced from the longitudinalaxis of said post.

9. A post domer as defined in claim 2 wherein said cutter head rotateson an axis substantially parallel to and spaced from the longitudinalaxis of said post.

1. A post domer comprising a doming station, a cutter head rotatablymounted in said doming station, means to deliver individual posts tosaid doming station, means to rotate and axially advance said posttoward said cutter head in said doming station whereby said cutter headcuts a domed surface on one end of said post and means to eject the domepost from said doming station, said means to rotate and axially advanceincluding an arm, a pair of rolls on said arm, means to drive one ofsaid rolls, said rolls being canted at an angle to the longitudinal axisof a post in said doming station, means to mount said arm for movementto and from an operating position wherein said rolls contact with saidpost in said doming station and said one of said rolls rotates said postto helically advance said post.
 2. A post domer as defined in claim 1wherein said doming station includes means to rotatably support a postbeing domed, said means to rotatably support includes a pair ofsupporting rolls adapted to contact the undersurface of a post saidsupporting rolls being canted at an angle to the longitudinal axis ofthe post in the doming station substantially equal to the angle on whichsaid pair of rolls are canted.
 3. A post domer as defined in claim 2wherein said pair of rolls and said pair of supporting rolls arepneumatic tires.
 4. A post domer as defined in claim 2 wherein means todeliver the posts to said doming station comprises a chain conveyormounted on said arm, said chain conveyor engaging the upper surface of apost being delivered to said doming station and wedging said postagainst a supporting surface said chain conveyor contacting and movingsaid logs toward said doming station, said movement of said post towardsaid doming station lifting said chain conveyor and thus said arm topermit said post being delivered to enter said doming station beneathsaid driven roll.
 5. A post domer as defined in claim 2, wherein saidejection mechanism comprises a pair of spaced arms, means biasing saidarms to ejection position and means for tripping said ejection mechanismto swing said arms to eject a post from said doming station.
 6. A postdomer as defined in claim 4 wherein said ejection mechanism comprises apair of spaced arms, means biasing said arms to ejection position andmeans for tripping said ejection mechanism to swing said arms to eject apost from said doming station.
 7. A post domer as defined in claim 6wherein said means for tripping is actuated by said post being deliveredwhen said arm is lifted to permit said post being delivered to entersaid doming station.
 8. A post domer as defined in claim 1 wherein saidcutter head rotates on an axis substantially parallel to and spaced fromthe longitudinal axis of said post.
 9. A post domer as defined in claim2 wherein said cutter head rotates on an axis substantially parallel toand spaced from the longitudinal axis of said post.